Hair-coloring method and apparatus therefor

ABSTRACT

Hair-coloring method and device therefor whereby smaller strands of hair are simultaneously separated from larger strands or locks by means of a series of co-planar hooks, preferably on the back of a comb; the separated strands are then separately colored to provide frosting, highlighting, or shadowing (reverse highlighting) effects.

United States Patent 1 [111 3,749,105

Sestita 1 July 31, 1973 HAIR-COLORING METHOD AND 3,390,689 7/1968 Newman132/9 APPARATUS THEREFOR 2,871,865 2/1959 Anderson 132/7 [76] Inventor:Joseph J. Sestita, 4348 W. 134 St.,

Cleveland Ohio 44135 Primary Examiner-Louis G. Mancene AssistantExaminer-Gregory E. McNeill 1 Flledr 25, 1970 AttorneyEly & Golrick [21]Appl. No.: 66,908

Related u.s. Application Data 57 ABSTRACT 62 1 Division of Ser No682'315Nov Hair-coloring method and device therefor whereby [52] U S Cl132/7 smaller strands of hair are simultaneously separated [51] In. .CI7/00 from larger strands or locks y means of a Series of [58] Fie'ld "i9 53 planar hooks, preferably on the back of a comb; the

v separated strands are then separately colored to pro- 56] RderencesCited ridlptrostirt tg, highlighting, 0r shadowing (reverse high- 115.UNITED STATES PATENTS mg) e co 2,618,274 11/1952 Nell 132/9 3 Claims, 4Drawing Figures HAIR-COLORING METHOD AND APPARATUS THEREFOR Thisapplication is a divisional application with respect to my copendingapplication, Ser. No. 682,315, filed Nov. 13, 1967.

This invention relates to a method of coloring hair to provide so-calledfrosting effects or highlights or shadows which closely approximate theappearance of lively natural shades of hair. This invention alsoencompasses and relates to a novel device which is requisite for theeconomical performance of the method. More particularly, this inventionrelates to a device comprising a series of co-planar hook memberscarried by a base, preferably the back ofa comb, by which the hookmembers may be manipulated to effect a simultaneous separation ofsmaller strands of hair from combed locks of hair, which separatedstrands are then bleached and- /or colored to provide frosting,highlighting, or shadowing (reverse highlighting) effects.

Except for black or very dark brown shades or, at the other end of thespectrum of human hair colors, the white hair of the very aged oralbinos, it has long been appreciated that adjacent hairs in the humanscalp are seldom of precisely the same shade, even when the hair color,overall, is not noticeably streaked, as is frequently evident whennaturally colored hair has commenced to grey. In fact, the absence ofsuch variations in the shades of individual hairs or strands can be acontributing factor to the artificial appearance and lack of livelinesswhich characterizes many coiffures of bleached and/or dyed hair.Accordingly, either by techniques and/or by the take of the dyes orbleaches used, the more skilled hair-colorings effect a variation in theshades of different strands in the coiffure; this is done in order toachieve a liveliness which simulates that of a natural hair color or,frequently, a frankly obvious cosmetic coloring of the hair.

Heretofore the method of obtaining the above described variation in haircoloring which has been ost efficient, from the point of view of timeand labor involved, has been the cap technique; by this technique a capsimilar to a bathing cap is worn by the patron whose hair is to betreated. The film of the cap is preferably transparent and may beprovided with preformed perforations through which the strands of hairis to be bleached or dyed are pulled by means of a crochet-hook insertedand then withdrawn through the perforations. If the cap is imperforateor if the operator wishes to treat a strand other than one drawn througha pre-formed perforation, the film of the cap is perforated by thecrochet hook and a strand of hair is withdrawn. In either case, the capthen serves to separate the hair so that only that which is outside thecap will be treated.

It is an object and advantage of this invention that it eliminates thetime and labor heretofore involved, either in the above described captechnique or otherwise, in the strand-by-strand separation of thestrands of hair to be treated. It is another advantage and object ofthis invention that the separated strands of hair may be treated to theroots of the hair, whereas, by the cap technique, for example, only endportions of the strands are certain to be withdrawn for treatment andthose hairs which are treated to the roots are in the minority.

Accordingly, it is an object and advantage of this invention that itavoids or substantially minimizes the piebald effect frequently obtainedby the prior art methods and, thus, a more natural and attractivecoiffure may be obtained. By using the device invented for carrying outthis objective, an operator can quickly segregate a plurality of strandswhich may be treated throughout their entire length so that the ultimatecolor of the hair which has been so treated will extend outwardly fromthe scalp.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from thefolloiwing specification, claims, and drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a preferred form of a strand-separating device madeaccording to this invention wherein it is combined and is integral witha hairdressers comb.

FIG. 2 shows a preliminary step of the method, using the device shown inFIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a subsequent step, and

FIG. 4 shows a still further step.

Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows an embodiment 10 of the type ofstrand-separating device which is requisite for performing thehair-coloring technique of this invention. As illustrated, it comprisesa series 1 l of hooks, 11-1, 11-2, and so forth, to and including, inthe particular device shown, a final hook 11-6. It is to be noted thatall of the hooks are substantially coplanar, although it is notnecessary that all be turned in the same direction, though they may be.In the specific embodiment shown, the final hook in the series is turnedinwardly so that it faces the other hooks of the series. Such anarrangement whereby at least the first and last hooks of the series areturned toward each other provides the advantage that the device is lesslikely to hook into another instrument, a drawer lining, or table coveras it is picked up or set aside during use. Otherwise, so long as thehooks are co-planar, the extent to which they point in the samedirection is essentially a matter of choice. The distance between thefirst and last hook of the series is essentially the width of a flatlock of hair which may be conveniently held by one hand, that is,usually from two to three inches. The hooks in the series aresubstantially equally spaced and the number may vary upwardly from threeor four, as a minimum; in practice, eight hooks appear to be a practicalmaximum with six, as shown, being the preferred number when the bightsof the hooks are on aaproximately half-inch centers.

In the illustrated embodiment 10, the strandseparating array 11 is ofseparately formed wire hooks which have been inserted or molded in theback 12 of a conventional hairdressers comb 13. The hook 11 may, ofcourse, be molded of suitable plastic integrally and simultaneously withthe comb 13. In either case, whether the array of co-planar hooks 11 areseparately formed and inserted or molded into the comb 13 or are moldedsimultaneously and integrally with the comb, it is preferable that thearray of hooks 1 also be co-planar with the teeth 14 of the comb; thisminimizes the possibility of the hooks interfering with the comb teethand vice versa. It is also to be understood that rather than beingcombined with a comb 13, the array 11 may be formed on or carried by asuitable hande forming a support for the array so that it may be used asa separate hair-dressing instrument. Or the array may be provided onhair-dressing instruments other than combs. However, it is generallypreferable to have the array located on the back of a comb (or a brushif the larger lock is thus separated from the head of hair); thisenables the strands of hair which are to be separately treated accordingto the following method to be selected from the larger lock of hair withthe same instrument with which the larger lock of hair was formed and,thereby, avoids the operators loss in time and motion which would beentailed if one instrument had to be put down and another selected andpicked up.

To frost hair according to the invention using the above describedstrand-separator 10, a flat lock 20 is selected and formed by combing(and/or brushing)so that the lock may be held in the fingers of one handby the operator as it is formed and may be so held thereafter, as shownin FIG. 2. Withthe lock 20 so formed and held, the instrument is theninverted, the hooks of the array 11 are passed down through the lock andthen lifted up so as to pick up separated strands 21 on the hooks of thearray 11, as shown in FIG. 3. As thus separated, the balance of the lock20 may be dropped and the separated strands 21 may be picked up and heldon the conventional bleaching or dyeing foil wrapper 30 while ableaching preparation such as bleaching foam 40, is brushed on thestrands 21, as shown in FIG. 4. The foil 30 is thereafter'wrapped aroundand secured to the selected strands while they are acted on by the foam40.

This operation is repeated with other locks of hair until, according tothe hairdressers taste, a sufficient number of strands of hair inappropriate positions on the head of hair have been selected and wrappedin foil with a bleaching material. The bleaching operation is thencompleted and the hair is dressed according to the coiffure desired bythe patron and/or the operator.

Although a plurality of strands are selected simultaneously by theabove-described technique, thereby saving the operator's time and labor,each selected strand may be bleached to its roots; this avoids thepie-bald or blotched effect when strands are pulled through a cap offilm for subsequent treatment. By first determining the thickness of thelock of hair and then by amnipulation of the device 10 in selectingstrands, the operator, according to this invention, can quickly selectthe strands of hair to be frosted both as to location and sizes (i.e.,the number of hairs in a strand). The difference between coiffures offrosted hair made according to the prior cap technique and the techniqueof this invention is readily apparent, especially in a side-bysidecomparison, and the appearance of the coiffure obtained by thisinvention but otherwise identical with that frosted by the prior capmethod appeals to the taste of most patrons as being more effective andattractive.

A technique for highlighting" hair according to this invention involvesfrosting, according to the above technique, a head of hair which hasbeen dyed according to the color desired or which may retain its naturalcolor as the "base" color. After completion of the bleach, but prior tofinal dressing, the head of hair is then treated with a creme type ofhair-coloring which takes only on the bleached strands. By selecting acreme color which is lighter than the base color, the hair will behighlighted, by selecting a darker shade, a shadowing or reversehighlighting effect will be obtained.

A still further technique for reverse highlights or shadowing is tofirst color the hair to the desired light base color and, thereafter,following the technique illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 4, coloring selectedstrands with a darkening dye, rather than a bleach.

Still other and further variations of the abovedescribed techniques,using a multiple-strand selecting device of the type claimed will occurto and be practiced by those of expected skill in the art withoutdeparting from the scope of spirit of this invention as set forth in thefollowing claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A method of coloring hair, including the steps of forming and holdingflat locks of hair, separating from each of said locks spaced strands ofhair by means of an array of hooks placed in a lock and then liftedtherefrom in order to lift out said strands, applying haircoloringmaterial to said separated strands and wrapping said strands to maintainthem separate from other hair while being subject to said hair-coloringmaterial.

2. A method of frosting hair comprising the steps as defined in claim 1and in which said hair-coloring material is a bleach.

3. A method of highlighting hair comprising the steps as defined inclaim 1 and the further step of coloring the hair with a dye impartingto the bleached strands of hair a color lighter than the color of theunbleached locks of hair.

i i t t

1. A method of coloring hair, including the steps of forming and holdingflat locks of hair, separating from each of said locks spaced strands ofhair by means of an array of hooks placed in a lock and then liftedtherefrom in order to lift out said strands, applying hair-coloringmaterial to said separated strands and wrappIng said strands to maintainthem separate from other hair while being subject to said hair-coloringmaterial.
 2. A method of frosting hair comprising the steps as definedin claim 1 and in which said hair-coloring material is a bleach.
 3. Amethod of highlighting hair comprising the steps as defined in claim 1and the further step of coloring the hair with a dye imparting to thebleached strands of hair a color lighter than the color of theunbleached locks of hair.